1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to resting places for infants or pets, and more specifically, to resting place positioned above an adult sleeping area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many parents of infants desire a co-sleeping arrangement. Co-sleeping is often characterized by the infant sharing the same bed as the parent. Supporters of co-sleeping believe that co-sleeping encourages breastfeeding by making nighttime breastfeeding more convenient and facilitates the nursing mother to sync her sleep cycle with that of her baby. Additionally, co-sleeping advocates suggest that co-sleeping helps babies fall asleep faster and get more nighttime sleep. Co-sleeping is also said to help parents bond with the infant.
However, the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission, along with the American Academy of Pediatrics, warns parents not to place their infants to sleep in adult beds. These organizations state that the practice of co-sleeping puts babies at a higher risk of suffocation and strangulation. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission the primary risks of infants sleeping in adult beds include suffocation caused by an adult rolling on top of or next to a baby; suffocation when an infant gets trapped or wedged between a mattress and a headboard, nightstand, wall, or other object; suffocation resulting from a baby being face down on a waterbed, a regular mattress or on soft bedding, such as pillow blankets, or quilts; and strangulation in a headboard or footboard that allows a portion of an infant's body to pass through an area while trapping the baby's head.
To avoid these risks, there are ways to keep a baby close by, but not in the adult's bed. For example, a baby can be placed in a bassinet or crib next to the adult's bed. There are also devices that look like a bassinet minus one side, which attaches to the adult bed. These devices allow the parent and baby to be next to one another without the possibility of the parent rolling over onto the infant. A bedside co-sleeper of this type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,347, issued Sep. 5, 2000, to Tharalson, et al.
Unfortunately, many rooms do not have enough space to place these devices in the same room as the adult bed, let alone at the side of the adult bed. When used, a bassinet placed next to a bed will be inconvenient in that only one adult on one side of the bed will have convenient access to it. Additionally, when a bassinet is placed near the side of the bed, this can block easy access to the bed and make it difficult for an adult to move in or out of the bed. Furthermore, these solutions do not optimize the adult's convenience in caring for an infant. Accordingly there remains a need for a device that brings the infant in close proximity to the adult bed without the risks associated with co-sleeping and without taking up valuable space in the room.
There are a variety of bed designs known where a bed surface is retractable or can otherwise be hidden to maximize space utilization. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,554, issued on May 13, 1975, to Glass discloses a retractable bed having a frame with a pair of legs standing against opposite walls of a room and horizontal room spanning members extending between tops of the legs against the ceiling of the room. In Glass, there is a bed platform with four retracting lines slidably extended from the corners of the bed platform upward to the horizontal members, along the horizontal members, and downward at one pair of legs. Also in Glass, there is a counterweight adjacent to a pair of legs attached to the retracting lines. There are also four support lines extending from the corners of the bed platform, over pulleys at the top of the legs. There are also slack take-up weights at the end of the support lines.
Other retractable beds are also known. U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,040, issued Mar. 2, 2004, to Acevedo, discloses a powered retractable bed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,850, issued Apr. 2, 1996, to Lyne, Jr., disloses a space-saving bed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,714, issued Aug. 31, 1999, to Dignam, discloses a suspended sleep platform assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,520, issued Nov. 15, 1994, to Lyne, Jr., discloses another space-saving bed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,877, issued Jun. 13, 1989, to Hamada et al., discloses a powered elevation bed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,210, issued Nov. 23, 1993, to Pollard, discloses another space-saving bed. U.S. Pat. No. 6,507,962, issued Jun. 21, 2003, to Thurston, discloses a ceiling mounted sleeping system.
There are also various bars or arms supporting an object over a hospital bed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,510, issued May 3, 1977, to Fabian discloses a hospital bed accessory for supporting a desk like platform within reach of a patient, especially one who has to lie prone on the bed, so that the patient can reach the platform and read or write thereon, and move the platform out of the way when desired. According to Fabian, the accessory includes a vertical main post clamped to a headboard of the bed, and a horizontal radial arm extending out from the main post over the bed. A depending second post is suspended from the outer end of the radial arm so as to bring the desk-like platform suspended from its lower end within reach the patient. U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,734, issued Mar. 4, 1975, to Benoit et al., discloses a hospital exercise bar. U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,707, issued Mar. 8, 1983, to Boerigter, discloses an invalid bed having a frame and an overhead support structure which provides an elevated diagonally extending support surface for a pivot arm.
Various other sleeping or play areas for infants are known. However, there remains a need for a space-saving device that provides the benefits of co-sleeping without the associated risks. Specifically, there remains a need for a method and apparatus which provides a convenient resting area above an adult sleeping area such as a bed.
Additionally, there are situations in which it would be considered desirable to have a rest area for a pet, such as a cat or dog or other household animal, positioned over a bed. The advantages include eliminating inconveniences associated with an animal sleeping directly on the adult bed, and ease of care and providing affection. There remains a need for a method and apparatus to provide the ability to enable such a resting place for an infant or for a pet.